Women-only swimming as a space of belonging

The female Muslim body has come under close political and public scrutiny in many Western societies. Within sport, too, Muslim women’s dress and practices have become topics of discussion. For example, gender-segregated swimming sessions catering for Muslim women have caused disputes in several European countries, including Denmark. Nevertheless, the perspectives of participants are absent in such discussions and research about the significance of sports and physical activity for minority-ethnic groups is sparse. The aim of this article is to explore the meanings Danish Muslim women ascribe to their participation in a gender-segregated swimming space. Drawing on transnational feminism that foregrounds the voices of ‘othered’ women, this article presents the results of a study, in which we used participant observation and interviews with club officials and 14 Muslim women. The participants connected swimming with well-being and self-care and portrayed women-only swimming as a space of belonging, where they felt comfortable and safe and were not only protected from the male but also the ‘white’ gaze that they encountered in other situations, such as when wearing a burkini on the beach. Consequently, contestations of belonging ‘outside’ gave particular value to the women-only swimming pool as a space free from such contestations. This finding demonstrates how Muslim women’s experiences with sport and physical activity are shaped by current public and political discourses on immigration and integration in Western societies.